A Royal Marine Commando has died on the Afghanistan front line following a sudden illness while fighting the Taliban.

The special forces hero was rushed to a military hospital at Britain’s Camp Bastion base in Helmand Province but died yesterday.

His devastated family and friends in the UK have been informed of the tragedy by senior officers.

It is thought he served with the elite Special Boat Service, which has played a major role in targeting the Taliban throughout the Afghan campaign, but the illness he suffered is not thought to be related to fighting the enemy.

A Ministry of Defence statement said today: “It is with great sadness that we must announce that a Royal Marine Commando died on 24 September in Afghanistan.

"His death is believed to have been from natural causes. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”

Two British soldiers also died in Afghanistan last Friday and Royal Military Police believed they both killed themselves.

Captain James Towley, of 28 Engineer Regiment, died in a shooting incident the day before he would have turned 30.

The Oxford graduate was found at Forward Operating Base Shawqat and the Ministry of Defence said his death was not related to enemy action.

And Sgt Jonathan Eric Kups, 38, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, died at Camp Bastion just a few miles away in what was another suspected suicide.

Just 10 days ago, Camp Bastion came under heavy attack from a team of specially-trained Taliban fighters who killed two US Marines and wounded several British soldiers.

The death of the special forces commando brings the number of British military fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001 to 433.

The MoD is expected to release more details on the latest tragedy tomorrow.